The actual meaning of the word “Rijeka” is river. No wonder that it is considered as the main sea port as well as the third largest city in the whole Croatia. There are more or less 200,000 people residing in Rijeka. Situated in the very heart of Kvarner Gulf, Rijeka has been the intersection of sea and land routes along with the other parts of the world. This includes air, train, ship and bus lines.
There are a lot of options on how to go to Rijeka since all modes of transportation is available. Coming from connecting places like other Croatian cities and other European cities, one can take the scheduled bus in the central bus terminal in Zabica. The city also has an international air connecting port, but it is more of a chartered airport due to the minimum capacity that it can handle. However, most travelers prefer taking the ship in order to get to Rijeka because of sight seeing. There are direct ferry that sails from Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. But coming from the city of Pula can be more convenient in traveling to Rijeka via sea line.
Staying at Rijeka will never be troublesome. Vast array of hotels, hostels, lodgings, camps and private accommodations awaits the travelers. The hostels are entirely has an Austro-Hungarian villa construction style. Some of these hotels even include fine dining restaurants (international foods are served) and pizzeria. Local fast foods and taverns are also up for grabs.
Although Rijeka is not being advertised as a tourist spot, this city does not only serve as the center port of Croatia. Many tourists from all over the world visit Rijeka because of the great ancient architectures that can be mostly seen in the old parts of the city, especially when the annual carnival is held. Aside from that, interesting places are also available in Rijeka especially for history and art enthusiasts.
The Natural Museum of Rijeka is the right place to go if you want to know more about the city’s history. It has an estimated display of 90,000 specimens. The museum is so big that the collections are divided into 12 categories. People can freely visit and look at the priceless possessions of Rijeka. However, there are certain items (most prized valuables and rare ones) in the museum that does not have an easy access unless you are part of a tour.
So many sporting activities can be done in Rijeka. Since it is a coastal town, most of these are water related. Locals have been fanatics for aquatic sports throughout the years. Water competitions are held yearly such as spear fishing contest, sea-fishing competition, water polo, swimming and sailing regattas. But though the city is water filled, it still caters hiking, hunting and mountaineering, 30 kilometres from the heart of Rijeka.
Because of the very busy environment and business ports, communication has been an essential for most Rijekans. People are friendly and they accommodate foreigners very well. Few local residents of Rijeka can speak one foreign language. They can easily tell you the directions for tourist spots in case you need help.